Apparently there are three novels in which Heyer had continuing characters. This is the second of the three. The first is a few back in this listing - back in January, actually - and is entitled These Old Shades. My sister and I were both secretly big Heyer fans, and she now tells me that the three Alastair novels were her favorites. They weren't mine - I don't recall ever having read any of them.
This one features the son of the hero in the first of the three, who, instead of purchasing the fair beauty as his father did, kidnaps her.
And, of course, after all sorts of complications, everything works out in the end. I don't really know how I missed them back in the olden days when I was secretly reading her books.
I have also been wondering why we were ashamed to be so fond of these books. I suppose we had been raised on a diet of science fiction and fantasy with a fair dose of contempt for romance. Murder was acceptable, but romance was out. I suppose I still have the same prejudices - but they have become settled matters of taste by this time. Formula romance tends to be pretty boring - at least to me. I occasionally run into a writer of romance that manages to dodge the stereotype, but not many. Heyer dodged quite successfully. As my sister and I observed, her books are actually well written and have great characters.
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